Eclipse: The Legendary Echidna
by KnuxfanEO
Summary: For the most part, things have gotten back to normal...until the major cities of Mobius become victims of destructive explosions! What has Knux so spooked about an old legend? Or is it not just a legend? (SLIGHTLY based on the DBZ movie 'Broly: the Legend
1. Default Chapter

THE LEGEND

**Author's Note**: Alright, this one's a shorty. Only 3 chapters. However, this one is packed up tightly. As I said in Ch. 6 of 'Break Up, Break Down', that was the stepping stone for this. Hope you enjoy!

"_Dad, will you tell me a story?" "Sure, son. Hmmm...How about the Legend of Eclipse: The Legendary Echidna?" "Sounds good!" "Okay. According to the Legend, a powerful entity will arise one day with the power to destroy all life on Mobius. This creature is a green echidna known as Eclipse." "Green? That's a weird color." "Well, it is believed that his power comes from chaos emeralds." "But why would he want to destroy all life?" "No one knows. The legend says that when the crescent moon becomes eclipsed, he will arise and bring Mobius to its knees through his awesome might. He will destroy his enemies, and then the world after that." "When is the eclipse supposed to happen?" "Oh, don't worry. It won't happen any time soon. It can't. The crescent moon cannot become eclipsed. It can be the stage of an eclipse, but nothing else." "Well, if he ever did show up, I'd kick his butt, right dad?" "You bet, son. Time for you to go to sleep. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow." "Okay. Goodnight dad. I love you." "I love you, too. Goodnight, Knuckles."_

Knuckles slowly opened his eyes to see that he was lying on the floor of his bedroom. He took off his left glove and wiped his finger under his nose. There was dried blood from his nose down to his upper lip. "Uhhh...another one of those 'flashback attacks'", he groaned as he stood up and went to wash his face. Not too long after he got up, Knuckles headed out the front door of his cave and walked through the woods towards Echidnapolis. As he stopped to grab an apple from a tree for breakfast, he paused. 'Why do I have the strangest notion to get there quickly?' he asked himself. 'Don't sense anything wrong...but maybe..." he thought as he quickly grabbed an apple and began to hurry towards the city.

It was a pretty average day in Echidnapolis. The streets were busy as usual, hover-cars driving by as pedestrians crowded the sidewalks. Lana-Ca had been up for about an hour now. She had three children, so she had a lot of work around the house. Her husband, Raynor had left for work not too long ago, so she decided to get some laundry done before the children woke up. The bus for school would be at the corner in an hour and a half. She was young, beautiful, and happy. She had a loving husband, two beautiful daughters and a handsome son. Sure life wasn't perfect, but it didn't have to be. She opened up the window to put some of the laundry out on the line. From here she could see the High Council building across the street. It was a beautiful day. She looked up at the sky and saw the white, puffy clouds, the clear blue sky, the bright green sun. "What in the world?" she asked herself. Suddenly, the green sun came closer and closer. Her eyes widened and she screamed, but no one heard her over their own shrieks.

"Downtown Echidnapolis was devastated today when the High Council building, along with everything else in a one-block radius, was destroyed in an explosion. No one knows what happened, because it was over as quickly as it happened. Fortunately, the High Council was not in session today. The Guardian arrived on the scene not too long after, but could do nothing in the aftermath of this devastation. The death count is not official, but it is estimated to be around four hundred. Is the Dark Legion to blame? Or is it perhaps Robotnik testing some new weapon? We'll have more details as they come in."

Locke had to sneak past the other members of the Brotherhood to get here. They were all arguing about what had happened and what needed to be done. Locke just wanted to see Knuckles. He found him standing before a crater in the middle of the city. EST units were positioned around the blast sight as family and friends of those lost in the explosion wept and mourned. The smell of burnt wood, metal and flesh was in the air to the point that it was nauseating. Smoke rose up into the sky, casting a shadow over the unholy graveyard. There were no remains of the buildings at all. The crater was filled with ash. "Son?" Locke said as he stopped behind Knuckles. "I-it's all my fault..." Knuckles whispered. Locke's eyes widened in surprise. "Son, no it's not. You couldn't have predicted this was going to happen," Locke said, putting his hand on his son's shoulder. Locke was stunned when Knuckles quickly spun around and swatted away his father's hand. "Don't you get it?!?! It's all my fault! I couldn't stop him!!!" Knuckles yelled, his eyes appearing to be very glossy. "Couldn't stop who? Who???" Knuckles slowly backed away, a strange look of horror on his face. Finally, he whispered, "Eclipse," before he ran off.

Locke talked to the Chaotix to try and get them to talk to Knuckles about the explosion, but every time they came near him, he quickly ran off and disappeared. Something was clearly bothering him. However, Mighty found him at home later that evening. He was sitting on his bed staring into space, growling in anger with his teeth and fists clenched tightly. Mighty quickly rushed in and slammed the door behind him. "Knux, Listen up! Enough running off! I'm sick of it! You're gonna sit down and tell me what's going on!" Mighty yelled. Knuckles stood up quickly, seeming more scared than anything else. "Mighty...I-I had another flashback last night. It was my dad telling me a story about an echidna named Eclipse. It's all my fault! I couldn't stop him! They're all dead because of me!!!" Mighty didn't know what to say or do. Knuckles seemed so...strange. There was something that he had never seen in him before. Was it fear? He couldn't be sure. "Knux...what is going-" "Just leave! Leave me alone!" Knuckles yelled. Mighty was a bit shocked, but nodded and slowly walked out the door. 'What is wrong with him? What is he not telling us?' Mighty thought as he headed towards the city.

"Eclipse? You mean that Legendary Echidna nonsense?" Sabre asked as he chuckled. "I'm serious, father," Locke said. "Oh, come! That's just an old story made to frighten children. A myth! There's no fact to it at all!" Spectre said to Locke, almost like he was scolding him. "Knuckles said something about Eclipse. To me and to Mighty. He's spooked out of his mind! He hasn't spoken to anyone at all today!" Locke said. "This is complete lunacy! There is no such thing as Eclipse. Spectre is right. We simply have to force Knuckles to tell us what he knows," Thunderhawk suggested. Suddenly, a siren started to go off with flashing red lights, alerting the Brotherhood to a present danger. "What is happening?" Sabre asked. "Locke rushed over to the computer consul and began to rapidly type. "There's a large energy spike in Cat Country!" Locke yelled. "It looks like it's coming from their capital city," Thunderhawk said as he pointed to the screen, "Show a satellite image!" Locke continued to type until a window popped up on the monitor, causing them all to gasp. There, on the screen, was Cat Country's capital. And, in the middle of it, was a crater. "By the Walkers..." Sabre whispered.

King Acorn was wishing he had stayed in bed. First, he received reports of an explosion in Echidnapolis, and now one in Cat Country. The whole world was in a state of panic. "Are the Freedom Fighters here yet?" the king asked. "Right here, your majesty," Sonic said as they rushed into the room. "What's the situation, Dad?" Sally asked her father. "It's unbelievable! Two major cities in only a few hours! Who is responsible for all of this? I want Robotipolis searched! You are in and out. If you find any strange energy readings, then search and destroy the cause of this...this destruction!" the king yelled. Before anyone could respond, a messenger ran up to the king. As he whispered something in his ear, the king's eyes widened with horror as his mouth dropped. "What is it, dad?" Sally asked. The king stared into space for a moment, then stood up from his throne. "Cancel your mission," he said, "I have just received word that Robotipolis has been almost completely destroyed." Their eyes widened in shock and surprise. "What on Mobius is going on?" Tails said.

"Max! How are you old friend?" Locke asked the king. "It has been quite some time since we have spoken, though I wish it were under better circumstances," King Acorn replied. "I know. First Echidnapolis, then Cat Country," "Then Robotipolis," "And it doesn't stop there. Downunda and Station Square have also become victims," Locke said grimly. "Good lord in Heaven! What madness is this, Locke? And better yet, where will this happen next so we can prevent it?" King Acorn asked. "Using our satellites, we've traced out the attack pattern...and it leads to one conclusion," Locke said. "What?" King Acorn asked, the suspension tearing him apart. "Your Kingdom is next," Locke said just above a whisper. King acorn flopped down into his chair. "I was afraid of this. How long?" he asked. "A few hours. About sundown," Locke said. King Acorn sighed as he thought of his wife, his son, and his daughter. "You are not in this alone, Max. The Brotherhood is coming to assist you. As are the EST, the Chaotix, and Lieutenant Stryker's best troops. We have a score to settle for what happened in Echidnapolis yesterday," Locke said. King Acorn took a deep breath, stood up, and said, "Fine, then! Let it come! I will ready my troops! We will not yield! We shall meet it head on! Together, we will avenge the thousands that were lost today." "So we shall," Locke said.

Never before had there been such a gathering. Dingoes, echidnas, the king's royal guard, the Freedom Fighters, and the Chaotix...all ready to stop the oncoming threat. A literal wall before the castle. "Man," Sonic said with a smirk as he surveyed the castle's defenses, "I almost feel sorry for this thing!" "Where's Knux?" Tails asked. The Freedom Fighters popped their heads up in realization, finally noticing that Knuckles wasn't there. "He's...not doing to well," Espio answered. Sally glanced over at Julie-Su, wondering if the end of his relationship with her had something to do with this. "He's really spooked. He keeps saying that it's all his fault for what happened in Echidnapolis," Rouge said, putting her head down as she mentioned it. "I bet he's just scared," Sonic grunted. Everyone glared at him, but he shrugged his shoulders and turned around. "He'll be here!" Vector yelled. "Sure," Sonic snorted.

"Our combined might will surly be enough to stop this!" King Acorn said proudly as he glanced off his balcony. With him were the Brotherhood, Constable Remington, and Lieutenant Stryker. "Where is your son?" King Acorn asked as he saw the Chaotix, Julie-Su and Rouge with the Freedom Fighters. Locke looked down and said, "He is...not well. He blames himself for Echidnapolis and hasn't spoken to anyone since then. But he knows we are here, so he will surly come to help us," Locke said. "You should be very proud of your son. He is a very respectable young echidna," King Acorn commented. Locke smiled and replied, "I am proud of him."

"Speak of the devil, here he comes," Stryker said as he put down his binoculars. Everyone looked to see Knuckles gliding towards them in the distance, but for some odd reason, he stopped in the center of the field in front of them."Told ya, loser!" Vector said to Sonic as he sneered. Sonic just ignored him. After a few seconds, they began to wonder why Knuckles wasn't walking to them. He was just standing there. "What's he doing?" Spectre asked. No one answered. Finally, Knuckles began to walk towards them until he stopped about a hundred feet away from them. He appeared to be very angry for some reason. "He's lookin' for some payback," Mighty said with a smile. The smile faded from his face when Knuckles yelled, "I won't let you do this!" There was mass confusion all around. No one spoke. "Not again! You hear me Dimitri?!?! NOT AGAIN!!!" Knuckles yelled, at the sky. "Dimitri? Here? Where? I don't see-" Sabre began, until Knuckles cut him off with loud growling.

From there they could see his body tense up. He had his hands on his head as if he were suffering from a powerful migraine as he growled. "Knuckles! What's wrong, son?" Locke yelled out. They were all shocked at what Knuckles said next. His voice was different. Completely. The Chaotix, the Freedom Fighters, and the Brotherhood all knew the voice well. It was the voice of Dimitri. "Locke! Be proud of what you see before you! This is your creation! Witness now, the result of your work!" Knuckles yelled. Knuckles' eyes were filled with rage. He took a step forward and transformed into Hyper Knuckles, shocking everyone. "He did it at will!" Tails yelled. "He's a living chaos emerald! It's energy runs through his veins!" Espio yelled. Knuckles continued to walk forward. As he walked, he growled, "Locke...LOCKE!!!" Although it was his own voice, why had they heard Dimitri's before? He stopped and appeared to be struggling with something. "N-NO! Not again! Y-Yes...YES!!!" He growled as he looked up into the sky, yelling as he concentrated his energy. "KNUCKLES! STOP!" Sally, yelled, but Knuckles didn't hear her. "He did all this?!?! It can't be true!" Mighty yelled.

Knuckles was laughing now. An evil, sinister laugh that chilled everyone to the bone. The ground shook. Lightning erupted from the sky. Tiny rocks and fragments began to float into the air.A strange green energy flowed around him as his violet eyes began to fade away, leaving his eyes a pale white. Suddenly, they noticed the Guardian ring on his chest. It was getting smaller! "The crescent moon! It's becoming eclipsed! That's what it meant!" Locke yelled. The Brotherhood, along with everyone else, looked on in awe as Knuckles continued to concentrate his energy. His skin began to tear, and a green light emitted from the tears. Finally, it appeared as if his body exploded, leaving a green ball of energy behind. Everyone watched in horror as the energy faded and a figure stood before them. Knuckles was now green, the Guardian ring gone, his eyes pale white, and his face filled with anger.

Spectre fell to his knees. "He's the one...He's the Legendary Echidna! He'll kill us all!!!" he yelled. Knuckles continued to growl until he pointed up to the balcony, smiling. "You, Locke!" he yelled, "I choose you to be the first of my victims!" Locke looked at his son in disbelief. What had just happened to him? Suddenly, Knuckles began to growl again. His violet eyes began to re-appear as did the Guardian symbol. !!!" He growled again as his eyes and chest reverted back to their previous blankness. "Come, Locke! Time for you to meet your real son."


	2. UNLEASH THE POWER

UNLEASH THE POWER

Sabre looked curiously and stunned at Spectre. He was on his knees with a look of fear painted on his face. His eyes were staring into space as sweat dripped down his face. "We...we're all doomed! He'll kill us! All of us! I...I never believed the stories...I never thought he existed...but it's true! The Legendary Echidna lives!!!" Locke was too shocked by his son's transformation to notice Spectre, or anything else. Knuckles was always a kind-hearted boy, but now he was out to kill him! What was happening to him? "Come now! Don't you wish to meet your son? Your creation?" Knuckles growled. "What do you mean my 'real son'?" Locke asked. Knuckles laughed "Don't you get it? I am the result of your genetic experiments. I am the son you wanted. But then again, you never did want me, did you? Did you?!?!" Locke jumped down from the balcony as the castle's defenses cleared a path for him. "Son...What are you talking about? I'm your father, and I love you," Locke said, hoping to break through to his son. "Oh, really? Is abandoning your son for nine years your way of expressing love? How stupid do you think I am?!?! I'm going to kill you, and I won't stop there! I'll destroy anyone who gets in my way! The Brotherhood will pay! This planet will crumble before my might!!!" Knuckles yelled as he chuckled maliciously.

Sonic stepped forward with Tails, who was scared out of his mind. "Knux! Stop it! We don't wanna fight you!" Sonic yelled. "Fight me? Fight me! How idiotic you are! You cannot begin to compare to my power! I will kill Locke, and anyone who gets in my way!" Knuckles said with a smile, "Not that I wouldn't have killed you afterwards anyway." Sonic would never admit it, but he was scared. Knuckles was...kind of his friend. And he's been destroying cities, including his own. His power went beyond anything he had ever seen before. He had to stop him, but how could he? Knuckles was the better fighter.

"Sal! Pass the bags!" Tails yelled. Sally nodded and tossed two large sacks at them. Tails and Sonic both grabbed one and opened it. It's contents included fifty power rings, and seven chaos emeralds!

Sonic and Tails began to float into the air as energy swirled around them. A bright flash of light transformed them into Super Sonic and Turbo Tails!

Knuckles smiled as he watched the transformation. He began to laugh again as he said, "Do you think you have enough power to stop me? Do you really?" Sonic stared at Knuckles and said, "We'll just have to find out." Super Sonic and Turbo Tails charged at Knuckles and attacked with a volley of punches. Knuckles, his feet planted on the ground, moved from side to side with his arms crossed and a smile on his face as he dodged them. Finally he said, "Time to get started then!" He yelled as he concentrated his energy, causing it to send his two opponents flying. As Super Sonic regained his balance, Knuckles had his hand right in front of his chest. Before he could move, Super Sonic was blasted by chaos energy. Knuckles turned around to Turbo Tails and smiled. "The Chosen One. The Ancient Walkers have invested a lot in the both of us. Lets see who they invested more in!" In a split second, Knuckles had grabbed Turbo Tails by the head and flew at Castle Acorn. He slammed Turbo Tails' head into the side of the castle and dragged him along the wall, laughing as he did so. When he reached the end of the wall, he tossed Turbo Tails towards where the fight had started in the field and fired an energy blast at him. Turbo Tails crashed into and dragged along the ground. When the Freedom Fighters and the Chaotix had reached him, he had powered down, and the unconscious form of Tails lay there bleeding.

Super Sonic got up and glanced over at Tails' unmoving form. He turned to Knuckles in a blind rage and yelled, "How could you do that?!?! Tails is your friend!!! Why are you betraying us?!?!" Knuckles laughed. "All who defend Locke will suffer at my hands. Tails just learned this." Super Sonic growled in his anger and charged as he yelled, "I'll never forgive you for this!!!" Super Sonic was throwing punches and kicks at incredible speeds. Knuckles, however, was dodging them all and chuckling." Stop laughing!!!" Super Sonic yelled. Knuckles began to laugh hysterically until he head-butted Super Sonic. He then began t throw a barrage of punches into Super Sonic's stomach. When he stopped and Super Sonic bent over, grasping his stomach in pain, he elbowed him into the ground. Super Sonic struggled to get up, but couldn't manage it. "Am I going too fast for you?" Knuckles whispered in his ear as he levitated next to Super Sonic with his arms crossed. "Does it hurt your pride? Heh. Weakling. You always acted like you were God's gift to Mobius, all because of your stupid speed. I wonder if you'll be so cocky with your legs ripped off?" Knuckles said. Super Sonic's eyes widened. "Don't worry. I did say that I'd kill Locke first, and I intend to," Knuckles said as he turned to Locke and began to walk towards him.

Nobody knew what to do. He just defeated their greatest allies. Spectre was still on his knees, gripped by fear. The troops were all shaking. The Freedom Fighters and the Chaotix knew that it was their turn to step up to the plate, but what were their chances? "You are not my son. My son would never kill, nor would he attack Tails and Sonic in the way you have. Knuckles! Snap out of it!" Locke yelled. Once again, Knuckles growled as his violet eyes and the Guardian symbol began to reappear. "D...Dad! H-help m-m-me!" Knuckles said. Locke ran over to his son as Knuckles put his hands on his head. "Fight it, son!" "I...can't! Dimitri...in my head somehow...con...trolling me!" Knuckles blurted out. Locke gasped in astonishment. "What?!?!" Suddenly, Dimitri's voice replaced Knuckles' again. "Controlling? No. I'm just merely directing you, boy." "What the hell are you doing to my son?!?!" Locke yelled. "Oh, I'm just unleashing his buried emotions. His anger, his hate. All exploding, causing him to become what he was meant to become. The ultimate killing machine!" "How are you doing this?" Locke demanded. "It all started when Knuckles and his friends invaded my fortress to retrieve my great-granddaughter. While he was unconscious, my scientists implanted a device in his skull. We knew we could never directly control him, so we simply went to his mind instead. All of those buried feelings of his. Perfect controls to my newest weapon. My mind is linked to his. I simply unleash the emotions I want, and boom! Oh, if you could see inside his demented mind, Locke, you'd swear he wasn't your son." "LIAR!!! Are you saying Knuckles wanted to do all of this?!?!" Locke yelled. "Of course he does!!! He wants to kill you, then everyone else here, deep down. That's but one side of him. The other is the weakling you refer to as your son. Call this an alter ego or split personality if you so wish, but it is in his head. One side is the killing machine, the other, the kind, softhearted fool. Soon, he will conquer the world for the Legion, and he will ensure my reign once I have complete control of him. He's still resisting too much, but he will break eventually. Perhaps killing more helpless children will assist me," Knuckles said with an evil smile.

Julie-Su's eyes widened in horror when she heard this, along with everyone else's. "Dimitri, you twisted monster!" Sally growled. "We have to help Knuckles!" Espio shouted. "Fight it, Knux! You can do it!" Mighty yelled. "I-I CAN'T!!!" Knuckles yelled in his own voice. "Think Knuckles. Your father did so much to you. He made you a mutant freak, he abandoned you, why? Ask him!" Dimitri's voice spat through Knuckles. "Wh-why, Dad? Why did you leave me alone?!? Was I a bad son? Did you not love me? Did you love someone else more? TELL ME!!!" His eyes and Guardian symbol began to fade away again, until a familiar voice yelled out to him. "Knuckles! It's me, Mighty! Listen to me! You have to stop! This isn't you! You're better than this!" Mighty said as tears fell from his eyes. "M-Mighty..." Knuckles whispered. "Yeah. Your best friend. You trust me, right? Well, trust me when I say that you can beat this! You can do it!" Mighty yelled. "How do you think Julie-Su found out about Rouge?" Dimitri's voice said, "You only told Mighty about it. Perhaps he told her and she went to Rouge to see if it was true." Knuckles looked over at Mighty, still struggling with his inner torment. "N-No...it's a lie. He would never...." "Would he not? How else could she have figured it out so soon? He must have called her apartment after you left. Who knows...maybe he wants her for himself." Mighty looked at Knuckles' angered eyes. "Don't listen to him! I'd never-""Doesn't that make you angry, Knuckles? Unleash your anger! ATTACK!!!"

Knuckles once again lost control to his inner evil and charged at Mighty, punching him across the face. While he was in the air, Knuckles grabbed his foot and slammed him into the ground. "YOU LIED! YOU SAID I COULD TRUST YOU!!!" Knuckles yelled as he stood over Mighty. Mighty struggled to speak, but he couldn't even mumble through all the pain in his back. "Freedom Fighters! Move!" Sally yelled. Bunnie began to fire lasers at Knuckles, trying to avoid his vitals so as not to kill him. However, she didn't need to even bother. The shots simply reflected off of him. In a flash, Knuckles was in front of her, crushing her robotic arm and legs. As he tossed her away like a rag doll, Antoine drew his sword and attacked in a blind rage. "Bunnie!" Antoine yelled as he went to strike. Knuckles simply grabbed the sword in his hand as Antoine struggled against him. "A Frenchie that has guts? Impressive," Knuckles said with a smile, which quickly faded to a frown, "But boys shouldn't play with knives." He broke the sword in two and kicked Antoine in the chest. Knuckles chuckled and said, "Hello, Espio," as he threw a kick at what appeared to be free space. However, Espio appeared and was sent flying by the force of the kick right into Vector. Rouge threw a strong kick, which was quickly evaded. "You may be fast in other ways, but not in combat," Knuckles said as he blasted her.

Super Sonic watched as his friends were being attacked. He found new strength in his anger and slowly stood up. His body was under a lot of strain, but he ignored it. He picked his head up and began to walk towards Knuckles.

"Your majesty, we have to open fire while no one is in the way!" St. John said. The king glanced at Locke, then sighed. "Fine. St. John, Constable, Lieutenant...order your troops to open fire." Remington and Stryker both respected Knuckles greatly, and didn't want to do this. They knew deep down, however, that they had no choice. St. John, however, didn't feel the same way about Knuckles, and was willing to do what he had to. "OPEN FIRE!!!" they yelled. All of the troops stationed in front of the castle fired their blasters, hoping that it would be enough to stop Knuckles. Knuckles chuckled at the sight, put his hand out in front of him, and the laser shots stopped in mid-air! "Today's forecast..." Knuckles said as he lifted his hand up, the lasers following his hand, "is rain!!!" he yelled as he threw his hands down and the lasers poured upon the troops. After a brief second of screaming, it was over. "Th-they're all dead..." St. John whispered.

Knuckles looked over at Locke with an evil smile on his face, but turned around to Super Sonic with an annoyed frown. "You scum. Still got some fight left in you?" he growled. "Before we do this...I wanna know...why, Knuckles? Why do you hate me?" Super Sonic said, a serious glare on his face. "It isn't so much hate as it is envy," Knuckles replied. Super Sonic raised his brows in shock. "You...envy me?" "How could I not? I've been chained to that island my whole life, while you are a free spirit, able to go wherever whenever you please! You have a family, while I have sadistic ancestors, a sadistic father, and a mother who gave her love to some stranger!" Knuckles shouted. He put his head down and began to speak again. "I thought that I had something that you didn't. I thought that I had love...in a way that you didn't," he said, until his head shot up, "And now I don't even have that! How could I not envy you?!?!" Super Sonic just stared in surprise. "I...I never knew you felt like that," he whispered. "Well now you do. And now you die!!!" Knuckles yelled as he teleported in front of Super Sonic and punched him in the stomach as hard as he could. Super Sonic went flying backwards into the side of the castle. He struggled to get up, but fell down and powered down to Sonic.

"I'll finish him once I'm done with you, Locke," Knuckles chuckled as he walked over to Locke. Locke stood there as his son stood in front of him. He was not afraid of death. In a way, he felt that he deserved this for what he put his son through. "Any last words?" Knuckles asked. "'I just want to say...that I'm sorry that I failed you, Knuckles. That I wasn't the father that I should have been. I deserve this. Just do it," Locke said as he closed his eyes and put his head down. Knuckles smiled and powered up a green ball of chaos energy into his hand as he clenched it tightly. The Brotherhood were too afraid to even move. The King looked on in horror. As Knuckles went for the blow, he stopped when he heard a click behind his head. "Stop now, Knuckles," Julie-Su said, her blaster pointed at the back of his head, "Don't make me shoot." "Go ahead. Do it. Pull the trigger and unleash your anger. You hate me so much, don't you? After all, you said so yourself." Julie-Su felt her hand begin to tremble as tears built up in her eyes. "If you won't do it, then stand aside! I will not waste any more time!" Knuckles growled. Julie-Su lowered her blaster, but didn't move. "No, Knuckles. I'm not moving," she said. "Fine! Then you can die with him!!!" Knuckles yelled as he opened his hand, unleashing chaos energy. Everyone gasped when they saw a green explosion shroud the three echidnas. When the smoke cleared, they were all shocked.

Locke had focused the power of the Master Emerald to create an energy shield, angering Knuckles. "So, Locke, you survived? Well then, I'll just have to-""Turn around, son...and see what you've done," Locke whispered as he pointed behind Knuckles. Knuckles turned around to see Julie-Su lying on the ground. She wasn't moving, or breathing. She was just lying there. Sally gasped, "Julie!" she yelled. "Sh-she's d-dead...he k-killed her..." Ray stuttered. Knuckles' eyes widened as he slowly stepped towards her. "J-Julie?" he whispered, "G-get up..." he said as his violet eyes once again began to appear, but with tears in them. The Guardian symbol also grew back as Knuckles walked over to her and stopped. "No...NO!!!" he yelled as a green aura surrounded him. He continued to yell as the ground once again shook. "JULIE-SU!!!" Knuckles yelled as the green light began to fade. He fell down on his knees, took her into his arms, and held her tightly as tears poured from his eyes. He stroked her hair as he looked at her beautiful face. He put his hand against it and could feel her body start to get cold. "Julie-Su..." he whispered in her ear, "I'm not letting it end like this...I'm not letting go." He closed his eyes and kissed her. The green light came back and surrounded the two of them. The others watched in awe as their dreadlocks fluttered around in the air. Suddenly, they heard Julie-Su gasp as she arched her back. Knuckles pulled his lips away and looked down at her. She started panting heavily and opened her eyes. He sighed in relief when he saw her, but she gasped in shock and crawled away from him, a look of terror in her eyes. Knuckles watched her crawl away with a look of great sadness in his eyes. He looked down at his hands, clenched them, closed his eyes and began to cry. The green color of his fur faded away, and he was red once again.

St. John quickly leapt down from the balcony and put his crossbow to Knuckles' head. "Now's our chance! Time to end this!" he yelled. "Geoffory, stop!!!" Sally yelled. St. John turned to her in shock. "What?!?! Why??? Did you not see what he has done? What he would have done? He must be killed before he can kill again! He must pay for his crimes against Mobius!" St. John yelled. "Stop!" The king yelled. St. John looked up at him in surprise. "Your majesty-""I understand what should be done, but it is not our place to sentence him. The other nations that were attacked will want their say. He will be imprisoned until the world leaders can meet in what I guess will be a few days. After that he will be tried and sentenced," King Acorn said. He watched as Locke went over to his son, but the boy crawled away in fright. 'He does not deserve this," the king thought. "Take him away, St. John," the King said as he sighed. St. John growled as he slapped some handcuffs on Knuckles' wrists. Knuckles didn't even look up at him. "You killed my troops. You killed your own people. I hope you burn in hell for this," St. John whispered. The survivors of the onslaught watched as Knuckles was taken away. He glanced back at them with tear filled eyes, but when his eyes met theirs, he turned away.


	3. ERROR AND TRIAL

ERROR AND TRIAL

The past few days had been very hard on everyone. Burying the dead alone took up a few days. Most of the survivors of the last attack were instantly hospitalized. Bunnie was in Rotor's shop, having her legs and arm reassembled after being crushed. Sonic, Tails, Antoine, Rouge, and the Chaotix were all pretty beat up. Rouge had some burns on her back, Tail's collarbone was broken, and Sonic and Mighty had several ribs broken. Vector and Espio were lucky, and had only a few bumps and scratches.

The time finally came for the trial. The trial that would determine Knuckles' fate. No one had seen him since the incident, or even knew where he was. Locke had asked to see him, but was denied access by St. John. Representatives from Downunda, Cat Country, and Station Square arrived and were welcomed by King Acorn. The King could see the anger in their eyes. The thirst for vengeance. Julie-Su sat down quietly in the courtroom next to the Chaotix. She hadn't spoken to anyone during the past week. She just couldn't get over the fact that she had died...and was brought back. Was Knuckles really that powerful, or was it a different kind of power, and not from a chaos emerald? She never felt so lost and confused before.

The sound of yelling outside alerted everyone to the fact that Knuckles was outside, being brought into the courtroom. They all turned around and gasped when they saw him. He had large black rings under his eyes, the skin under his eyes was red and puffy, and his eyes...his soft, violet eyes, were staring into nothingness. Mighty wanted to run over and embrace his friend, but Rouge stopped him. They couldn't interfere now. "All rise for his majesty, King Acorn," St. John said. The king walked over and sat down, surrounded by the representatives and Locke, who came representing the Floating Island. "Please be seated," the King said softly, "Knuckles the echidna, you are being tried for accounts of mass murder, terrorism, and treason. How do you plead?" Knuckles just sat there with his head down. It was like he was in a trance. "The king asked you a question. Answer!" St. John yelled, slamming his fists on the table in front of Knuckles. "Guilty," Knuckles whispered loud enough for the king to hear. "We have yet to decide that, though. Doctor, you may begin your defense," The king said as he pointed to an owl sitting next to Knuckles.

The owl was wearing a white lab coat and large, round spectacles. He was a bit round, but not too chubby. "My name is Doctor Hoot. I am a criminal psychologist. When I first took this assignment, I thought it would be like any other before it, but I was wrong. This is perhaps the most interesting case I have ever studied," he said, walking back and forth in front of the King. "It began about three days ago..."

Doctor Hoot walked slowly down the hall, following the security guard closely. "This one's a real treat, Doc," the guard said, "Like nothin' I've ever seen. I've seen guys fake bein' sorry, but this guy...he's really somethin'" They stopped in front of a cell numbered 3450 and the guard slowly opened the door. Inside, a red echidna was sitting in the corner, staring at his hands with frightened, tear filled eyes. He was muttering something to himself, but they couldn't make out what he was saying. Doctor Hoot stared in astonishment. "How long has he been like that?" he asked the guard. "Since he got here. Hasn't moved from that spot. Hasn't even eaten or slept," the bulldog said. Doctor Hoot didn't know what to say. This was really something else to him. "I'll never believe that this young echidna is guilty...never," he said.

"Since then, I've interviewed my patient and have learned about his life. He's a very interesting character," the doctor said with a pleasant smile. "Yes. He's very interesting. If killing thousands interests you, then I suppose he is," St. John growled. "Shut up, skunk!" Vector yelled. "ORDER!" the King yelled as he slammed his mallet on the table, "Now...please continue," the king said calmly. "Anyway," the old owl said, adjusting his spectacles, "After doing some extensive research, I have only one thing to say...this boy is innocent! He is very emotionally and psychologically unstable, and requires counseling. Punishing him for what his relative made him do would be unjust!" "What proof have you that his relative had anything to do with the incidents from last week? None! Lies! All of it!" the Cat Country representative yelled. "Although there is a lack of evidence to that fact, there were several witnesses that could testify to my statement," the owl said. "Then you may call your first witness," the king said. "I call Miles Prowler to the stand," the owl stated as he pointed to Tails.

Tails stood up and walked past Knuckles. Knuckles looked up and stared in shock at Tails' arm in a sling. He quickly stood up and began to slowly walk towards him. The guards drew their weapons and told him to sit down, but the King signaled them to stand down. Tails stopped and stared at Knuckles, who fell to his knees. "I...I d-did this...???" Knuckles whispered as he put his hand on the side of Tails' face. Tails went to put his arm around his friend, but Knuckles quickly backed away. "N-no...don't touch me...I don't wanna hurt you any more..." Knuckles whispered. Tails just stared and said, "It's okay, Red...it's okay," as he put his arm around Knuckles, who began to silently weep.

Knuckles was once again seated as Tails began his statement. "Knuckles is a really good friend of mine. He's like an older brother to me...kinda like Sonic is. I know what kinds of technology the Dark Legion has, and how much Dimitri hates Knuckles, and I'm positive that Dimitri did something to him. Knuckles would never hurt anyone without a good reason, and he's the most loyal guy I know. He'd never turn on us! Never! I heard Dimitri's voice when Knuckles was talking. He was controlling him using his buried anger. I-""Yes, yes, yes," St. John said, "But how does this prove anything? Even if it was his ancestor that tipped the dominoes, it was the echidna's own thoughts that drove him to do what he did!" Tails just sat in silence. He knew that St. John was right, but he would never admit it. "No reply? I rest my case," St. John said.

They went through several witnesses, but no one could prove that Dimitri was at all involved. Although the King believed it, being that he was there, he could never convince the representatives. Right now, it looked like Knuckles was going to lose, and face execution. St. John began the prosecution, immediately calling Knuckles to the stand. "Now...tell us your side of the story," St. John said with a large grin. Knuckles took a deep breath and began to quietly speak. "I woke up on that morning...and could feel something was wrong. I was on my way to Echidnapolis, when my head started throbbing. Then I started hearing his voice...Dimitri's voice...echoing in my head...saying things. I started feeling angry...for no apparent reason. I-I couldn't control it...and that's when I lost control. When..." Knuckles said as he couldn't find it in himself to go on with the story. "When you killed your own people. That was bad enough. But then you had to go and kill people who have never even seen your face before. Women, children. What kind of monster are you?!?!" St. John yelled. Knuckles' head drooped even more than it had been. Mighty stood up, consumed with rage. "Your Majesty, you may have to give me a restraining order, because if he doesn't shut his mouth, I'll-""ORDER!" the King shouted. "Mr. Armadillo, please be seated. St. John, if you continue to harass the young Guardian any further, I will remove you from the courtroom." The king said, rather grimly. St. John nodded, but cursed under his breath as he did so, "I have no further questions."

The king looked over at Knuckles with sorrowful eyes. 'There is only one way...' he thought to himself. He stood up and said, "Before a decision is made, Knuckles the echidna, please stand before the court." Knuckles did so, looking at the ground so as not to make eye contact with the hateful representatives. Locke sat and looked at his son, knowing that this could perhaps be the end for him. The King walked down from his seat and walked up to Knuckles until he was a few inches away from him. "Your Majesty! Please! He is extremely dangerous!" St. John said, pointing his crossbow at Knuckles, who hadn't lifted his head. "Stand down. If he is going to kill me, then let him. I don't believe that he would. There is but one way to settle this fairly," the king said as he drew the sword of Acorn. "You know this sword well, don't you, Knuckles? After all, it was you who retrieved it for me," the King said as Knuckles slowly raised his head, revealing his guilt-ridden face. "With it, I can see into someone's soul. See who they are. I will do so now. You just need to stare into my eyes," the King said as he held the sword in front of his face, with his eyes set on Knuckles'.

There was great silence for a minute or two. The Chaotix were on the edge of their seats. Sally was tightly grasping Sonic's hand as Bunnie did so with Antoine. Finally, the King gasped and dropped the sword. His eyes were filled with so many emotions. Sorrow, pity, shock, astonishment. He put his hands on both sides of Knuckles' face and said, "You...you poor, poor boy," as tears began to build in his eyes. "I, King Acorn, ruler of the Kingdom of Acorn, proclaim you innocent, and free of all charges against you." This caused a great uproar amongst the representatives and the audience. Most of them were against Knuckles. "Max! You can't just decide for all of us!!! You-""SILENCE!" the King yelled as loud as he could, causing the room to go quiet. "You have not seen the torment that I have just seen, and I hope you never will. He is a good soul, with a good heart," the King said as he turned to Knuckles, whose eyes were still filled with sorrow and regret, "Go. Rid yourself of this burden. Find your happiness." "I don't think I was ever meant to be happy," Knuckles whispered.

"I will never accept this!" St. John yelled, "You need not remove me from your services, your Majesty, because I will gladly resign if I have to treat him like a hero. I will gladly join the crowds outside, who wish to see him pay for his crimes!" With that said, St. John threw his hat to the ground and walked out of the room. The King watched angrily as St. John left the room. Knuckles glanced over at his friends and saw what he had done to them. They were all smiling, but that couldn't help. He couldn't take it any more. He turned around and ran to the entrance as fast as he could. "Knux!!!" Mighty, Sonic, and Tails all yelled, but he didn't listen. He just continued to run until he was outside.

Outside, there was a huge crowd waiting for the court's decision. "You see! The King has set him free!" St. John yelled. Knuckles quickly jumped and climbed to the top of the courthouse as the crowd began to throw rocks and sticks at him. Tears began to build in his eyes when he heard them yelling. "Murderer!" "Monster!" But one statement struck him harder than any other. "You killed my daddy!" He felt as if his insides were being torn out, There was no other way to describe it. The guilt was so unbearable...he knew what he had to do. 'I have to disappear. It's for the best,' he thought to himself. He ran to the edge of the courthouse and dove off, catching the breeze and gliding away. The Chaotix and the Freedom Fighters came out to see him gliding away. They called out to him, but couldn't get over the crowd. Mighty glanced over at St. John and smiled as he cracked his knuckles. "The King never did give me that restraining order," he said.

It began to rain heavily as Knuckles began to lose control due to the turbulence. He came crashing down into a field in front of Castle Acorn. A field he knew all too well. He got up out of the mud onto his knees and looked around him. Craters, burns marks, a long section missing from the castle wall. He growled as he pictured everything that he did here. All this rain...all the waters on Mobius couldn't possibly wash the blood away from this field...from his hands. He yelled at the sky as lightning flashed in the sky. He slammed his fists on the ground, splashing mud up onto his face. He had attacked his friends, threatened to kill his father, killed thousands of innocent creatures, he even killed the one he cared for the most. He had miraculously brought her back, but that wasn't the point. He had killed her without a second thought. "Is...Is that who I really am? A killer? WHO AM I?!?!" he yelled up at the sky, hoping the Ancient Walkers, or Athair or somebody would come with an answer. All he heard was yelling out in the distance. Then he smelt it. Smoke. There was a fire!

While all the commotion was going on at the courthouse, a hut had been struck by lightning and was on fire. By the time everyone got to it, it was too large to put out, and the owners were trapped inside! "Help!" someone yelled from inside the flaming hut. Sonic went for the door, but the arch above it collapsed, blocking the only entrance. "What can we do?" Amy yelled. "They're gonna be cooked alive if we don't do something fast!" Rotor replied. Suddenly, Knuckles ran past them and crashed into the burning hut. "Knux!!! Are you freakin' nuts?!?!" Vector yelled. Inside, it was like a furnace. The air was so thick it was hard to breathe. Knuckles saw a mother beaver and her two children huddled together and quickly ran to them. "Oh no! It's you!" the mother yelled in fright. Knuckles was hurt by this, but tried to focus more on the present situation. "Please! You have to trust me! I can get you out of here! Please let me help you!" Knuckles said with a sorrowful voice. The sadness in his voice and eyes touched the mother as she nodded. Knuckles quickly grabbed the two children in his arms and ran to where the door was. "We're trapped!" one of the kids yelled. Knuckles put the two children down and bent down to the floor. "This is gonna hurt," he growled as he grabbed the fallen, flaming archway and began to lift it up. He was growling in pain as he felt his flesh burning. Finally, he lifted it up enough for the family to run though.

The crowd cheered as the family rushed to safety, but the Chaotix and the Freedom Fighters looked in horror as Knuckles struggled with the flaming doorway. "OH MY GOD! IT'S GONNA FALL ON HIM!" Rouge screamed. Knuckles, using all the strength he had left, tossed the arch up high enough to give himself timer to roll out of the way. He fell to the ground in front of the hut, gasping for air and growling in pain as the hut began to collapse towards him. Sally screamed as the hut fell down, but sighed in relief when she saw that Sonic had pulled him away in the nick of time. "You okay?" Sonic asked as Knuckles continued to gasp for air and cough smoke out of his lungs. Sonic sniffed the air and looked down at Knuckes' burnt hands. "OH MAN!" he yelled as the others ran over. "His hands! They're..." Julie-Su began when she stopped and watched curiously as his blackened hands began to heal. Locke pushed through the crowd and ran over to his son. "Knuckles! Are you okay?" he asked, as he watched his son's hands finish healing. Knuckles looked up at his father for a second, then turned away, ashamed to even look at him. "Don't you dare do that," Locke scolded as he threw his arms around his son, tears pouring from his eyes. Knuckles couldn't return the embrace, but he could cry with his father. "Glad you're okay, man," Mighty said with a smile. Knuckles looked up to see the bandages around Mighty's ribs. "It wasn't you," Mighty said. "It sure as hell seemed like me. I don't even know who I am anymore," Knuckles whispered. "You're our friend, and what you just did proves it. That was a selfless thing you did. That's the Knux I know," Sally said.

"So what d' y'all think of Knux now? He just saved those people," Vector said to the crowd. "Yes, from a fire he probably started. He has the power of a chaos emerald! He could easily have started the storm himself! He just wants to make himself look good! Then when we have our back's turned, he'll go psycho-echidna on us!" They turned to Knuckles, who was staring at his hands again. This stirred up the crowds even more, all against Knuckles. The King rode up on his white horse, causing the crowds to silence. He stepped down, walked over to St. John, and slapped him across the face. "You are disgracing your father's memory and your family name! Direct your anger at Dimitri for the loss of your troops, not the puppet he used!" St. John started at the king until he finally bowed before him. "Forgive me, your majesty," he muttered. The king placed St. John's hat where it belonged and said, "It is done."

The king turned to Knuckles and his friends and said, "Dimitri will pay. I will spare no expense to see that he pays dearly for what he has done." Knuckles stood up and said, "He will pay. I'll see to it personally. I need to go...to Station Square." "Station Square? Why Knux?" Sonic asked. "When Dimitri was linked to my mind, I could see into his. He's gonna do something in Station Square. That's where he is. That's where I'm going," Knuckles said as he clenched his fists. "Well then, the Chaotix are right behind you, as always," Mighty said with a smile as he put his hand on Knuckles' shoulder. "Wherever there's a party, I'll go," Sonic said. "Then we're comin' too," Bunnie said. "Then it's settled," Rouge said, "We're going to Station Square."

**Author's Note:** Well, was that packed tightly or what? Next stop, Station Square! The Station Square Saga, as I'll call it, will be longer than my first two stories. It'll have an odd mix of action, seriousness, and comedy. Hope y'all stick with it, cuz it'll be worth it. Thanx again 4 the reviews! L8r!


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